Ecuador Citizenship

What do some apply for Ecuador citizenship? Is it right for you?

Why become a citizen?

There are a couple of reasons some look into become a citizen of Ecuador.

For example, if you became a resident by making an investment in Ecuador, you can't really take your investment out of the bank or sell your property without loosing your residency. This could be especially difficult if you have $25,000 deposited in Ecuador that you can't touch.

Another reason, every ten years or so you have to go through a renewal of your cedula, which basically includes presenting all the visa paperwork again. Once you've been through the process once or twice you may not want to deal with the expense and time that takes.

In my case, I'm married to an Ecuadorian who is also a resident of the United States. For him to not lose his residency in the US we have to live part time there and part time in Ecuador for me to not lose my residency. We want to have the option to live in both countries whenever we want. So we are thinking to apply for citizenship in both countries.

The Process

According to the government of Ecuador website, applying for citizenship is quite easy. You must have either lived in Ecuador as a legal resident for three years or be married to an Ecuadorian for three years.

Note: A child born to one or two Ecuadorian parents abroad or adopted by Ecuadorian citizens can apply for dual citizenship.

Once you qualify, you must present some paperwork and pay a fee. One website I researched said it can take up to a year for your petition to be approved...sounds like Ecuador.

Renouncing Citizenship

The big question is....Do I have to renounce my citizenship in my home country? No. At least not on Ecuador's end. They will grant dual citizenship.

However, check the policy of your home country. They may not allow dual citizenship, which would mean you would have to choose one citizenship or the other.